Firestarter
by Resting-Madness
Summary: Someone's been lighting fires in the world of ruin, and its their job to find out who before more than property gets damaged. But is the culprit one of their own?
1. Sunkin Treaure

Disclaimer: I don't own Final fantasy vi/iii not the characters, locations, or overall premis behind it.

Commentary: Maybe someday I'll do an upgraded FFVI story, but until then enjoy the pents. Thanks you.

...

Aboard the Blackjack II, one cool evening in May.

Setzer is in its kitchen cooking dinner. He walked over to the sink, dumping a bowl of noodles into a collinder; everything was going fine until with preparing dinner when... He draws in a sharp breath seeing a wall of flames jump up from his stove!

The gambler quickly grabbed a pot from the rack above the island counter, and filled it with water which he hurriedly dumps it on the grumbling flame to put it out only...

"Oh no."

The water hit the flames as though it were gasonline, causing the inferno to spread across the counter in a rolling wave! He looked around frantically for something- anything- that could help him.

The fire embers transformed into little tiny monsters that danced around the counter then onto his shirt. "AH!" He brushed at his shirt trying to remove them, off but it isn't working. He fell against the wall in a panic; the burn is getting into his skin! He was losing it, and it wasn't helping him get the flames off any faster.

_'I've got to get out of here!' _He thought to himself. But when he tried to stand he was jumped by the whole fleet of them. "Aaaah!" He cried out in horrid, arresting pain. And just when he felt his life slipping into darkness, he snapped his eyes open breathing hard and rasp.

_'It was a dream, the whole bloody thing was a dream and-...' _But it wasn't a dream! The flames from his dream are currently dancing along the walls of his bedroom! He stood up on the bed._ 'I've got to save my ship.' _He thought of it before anything else. It too a second to decide on it, and jumped to the chandellier swinging himself across the room landing heavily to the wooden floor.

His feet pound down the hall to the top deck of the flying vessel. Setzer had no other choice but to land. Unfortunately, if he was going to save the Blackjack... it was gonna have to be in the water.

The gambler went to the control panel and started the ship's motor, rolling the wheel towards the South Figaro sea; he pressed on the gas as hard as he could, and finally saw the stretch of the ocean just as the deck of the ship began to fall through.

0 0 0

Out in the fields of South Figaro.

Locke is laying on his back under a tree; Sabin is doing some of his blitz fighting techniques; Edgar had to stay at the castle for important business matters, and he told the two of them- after seeing what they did with the ham for luncheon- to go outside until he's finished. So now they were kicking back in the shade out in the warmth of the sun.

"Ya know, Ed' sure lacks a funny bone." Sabin was saying, in the midsts of doing a move without looking at Locke.

The thief just lifted an eyelid open to look at him. "What makes you say that?" He asked; Sabin shrugged, continuing as though he'd never stopped talking. "I mean the ham was still good, it was just a little airborn." He suddenly broke into a fit of laughter.

Locke chuckled a second before saying to his muscular friend. "You've just got too much funny bone."

"Maybe." The blitz master stopped what he was doing to join Locke on the grass. "Aaahhh." He sighed in refresh, and closed his eyes.

They were both about to drift off when they heard coughing in the distance and a casual swear. Both of the mens eyes snap open, and they turn their head looking at each other with the same question.

"You heard it too?" Sabin asked; and the theif nodded standing up.

The two of them run over to where the ocean meets the sand; and at the very sight of the mop of white hair they knew who the voice belonged too.

"Setzer!?" Locke called to him.

Sabin came up by the gambler's side, just as he turned himself around to face where he'd just come from, taking a seat on the grass. "He's gone..." The man said in a flat tone.

"Who's gone?" Sabin asked putting a hand on his shoulder.

"The Blackjack."

The two men let out a loud sigh of relief and bitterness for worrying them even a little.

Not missing the absense of concern, he chides. "Thanks for caring, really, I'm fine." Setzer said sarcastically.

The pair only snicker, patting him on the shoulder. "It's not that." The thief said and looked out into the ocean. "It's just that you always crash that thing, and you always act as though it's the end of the world... but then you get it back. So why worry?"

Setzer looked at him and blinked. "I do not always crash it. And regardless being able to repair it, its never easy. Not to mention it's at the bottom of the blasted ocean!" He answered grabbing his hair into a ponytail and squeezed it out.

"What happened, exactly?" Sabin asked as he crouched down beside him.

"Well," the gambler started, "I was asleep, having this really horrible dream that my ship was on fire... next thing you know I wake up and my ship really is on fire." His head drooped downward. "I'd like to know how that fire got started in the first place?"

"Do you think maybe you left the stove on all night?" Locke threw out an explaination as to why there might have been a fire. "The heat could have ignited the wood."

"No, I'm pretty sure it was off; besides that, I was in and out of the kitchen before I went to bed and none of them were on. More importantly, the fire was in my bedroom."

Sabin scratched his chin and said. "Maybe someone snuck on board and did it? It wouldn't be the first time some one's tried to kill us." He then added. "And with you letting on any random stranger to gamble in your casino... well, I don't know what else to say..." the blitzmaster trailed off because Setzer shook his head to even that- although it would make sense.

"No one was on my ship yesterday. I was flying around the whole time, I even left it in the air when I was going to bed."

Locke raised a hand and slapped him between the shoulderblades, and grinned. "Don't hang your head just yet, old man." He said cheerfully.

"Why not?" The gambler asked.

"Because Edgar has a set of armed fork-lifts that are controlled by levers..." he saw their blank expressions. "Figaro Sea isn't that deep it can reach in and get your ship easy."

Setzer's face suddenly brightened at the sound of that; and he threw soggy, wet arms around the thief's neck.

"Aaahh," Locke was making little noises of protest to the hug because, even though it's sunny outside, it was still a windy day and he had on thin clothes. "Setz'... maybe you could give me a friendly hand shake."

Not hearing the protest, the gambler backed away saying, "Thank you, Locke. I'll owe you one."

"Well, he is my brother." Sabin was saying wanting a reward too.

Sezter just laughed merrily, before running towards Figaro castle.

"Wait!" Locke said remembering that Edgar was in a meeting.

"Setzer wait!" Sabin called and they ran after him.

Somewhere in Thamasa.

Terra is visiting Relm for the day; the little girl took them outside to draw the flowers growing in the town. Relm's were beautifully done, with color and life that matched nature's beauty perfectly. Terra's just looked like a drawn piece of crumpled paper with a stem, but she smiled down at it with pride.

"How's this?" She asked the young artist, who looked over at it with mock scrutany.

"Hmm... If you have a day job you'd better keep it, because that thing is the pits." She replied but smiled to let her know it was all in fun.

"Hmm, maybe you're right?" The Esper held the drawing up and turned it side ways. "It definitly looks better this way." She said mostly to herself then grabs a blue paint brush to color the self-loved masterpiece in.

"I wonder what Edgar and the other guys are up too?" Relm held her drawing up, smiling at it. Painting stills was just too easy, she would rather do people. Preferably a gorgeous king, with noble looks and a need to flirt. Maybe he'd even flirt with her today... It could happen. Closing her notebook, she declares. "Another work of art, Claudia will love it."

Claudia is Relm's legal guardian in the village. Her house is just down the hill from her's and Strago's; and after her friends had helped the woman out when her home was on fire, how could she say no- of course- Relm is still living in her old home, she's just looked in on to make sure everything is ok.

"Edgar said there's a luncheon at the castle once the meeting is over. Setzer said he'd pick us up to go." Terra replied to a question she wasn't sure had even really been asked.

"Great, I'm gonna go get ready. It's probably pretty close to the time already."

She stood up, brushing grass from her baggy pants then took off towards the house; glad to have an excuse to get away from Terra; she liked her all right but she was never really used to having female friends- even though she'd been living with Celest for six weeks when she was doing a painting for Owzer in Jidoor. Celest had been living in Kohlingen, so going back and fourth by bird was no problem for the girl; but now the ex-general lives in Doma castle with Cyan.

Terra saw a breeze pick up and frowned that she couldn't feel it at first. She stood up then and walked outside of town looking up at the sky to see if she could see the Blackjack coming. _'I wonder where he could be? He's usually early.'_

Figaro castle.

The three men arrive at the castle to the greeting guards. "Good afternoon prince Sabin and Locke." They nod to Setzer whom they didn't really know too well; and he nodded back getting an akward glance at the fact that he was still wet from his submerge in the sea.

When they walked into the castle a large group of men were being escorted out past them with Edgar rounding them up from behind. "Thank you for a lovely meeting gentlemen, do come by again." He said to them.

The earls wave goodbye, waiting for their moble Chocobo transferer called a Carriage- they were very popular now a days- to take them back to the town of South Figaro.

"I hope you two have learned your lessons about throwing food." Edgar said to Locke and Sabin the second he turned to them.

"Of course we did." Sabin said grinning as though he meant he learned his lesson for the afternoon, and the evening was a different story.

"Setzer, what the devil happened to you?" He asked looking him over.

"My ship had to make a crash landing into the ocean to put the fire out," Seeing Edgar's expression, he shakes his head. "Right now I need to ask you for a favor," he said and Edgar raised an eye brow.

"Go ahead."

"Locke says you have some armed crane lifts that can get my ship out of the water, and I was wondering if I could borrow them?" He asked, with a quick nod from the king.

"Sure, I'll have my men help you out there with them. I can't opperate it for you because I have to host luncheon today."

"I understand." Setzer said turning to leave the castle. He honestly didn't care if a flying monkey opperated the thing, so long as he gets his ship back.

"Hang on Setz' I'll help you." The blitz specialist said, going out the door with him waving a hand over his shoulder to Locke and his brother.

"Looks like it's just you and me for a while." Edgar said smiling at Locke, and leaned in easily to kiss him.

"Mmmh." The theif moaned into his mouth placing his hands into his prince's hair.

"You know," Edgar was saying as he backed them to the door. "cooks not in yet, so we'll have the kitchen all to ourselves."

Locke ran his tongue across the king's moving lips and smiled. "Then what are we waiting for?"

The pair hurry to the kitchen, seeming only able to break away from each other long enough to get there. They'll have lunch alright, but not the scheduled kind.


	2. Kitchen Duty

Edgar is propped up on the cool wooden countertop, head lulled back with light moans escaping his mouth; and on the floor kneeling, Locke's lips are sucked in over his teeth, and with the cover he's munching on Edgar's length, lapping at it when its held in place in his mouth. The ministrations are giving the king a very painful stiffening beneath the fabric.

Edgar's hands slid past the thiefs lips and undid the interferring ties on his pants front; Locke was much oblidged, and quickly took it into his mouth surrounding it in it's warmth.

"Mmh." The king sighed and moved his hips upward more into that cage of heat.

Locke sucked in a breath through his nose when his lips hit the base of Edgar's hard-on and exhales when pulling back; the brief rush of heat against Edgar's moistened skin made his hips spasm forward. Locke had to hold the man's hips down before he got stabbed in the gag-reflex.

From there the thief's hands slide themselves up the king's body to brush his nipples, where he lazy makes little cirlces around them. Edgar's breathing was ragged and as he closed his eyes tightly; running his hands through his lover's brown-gray hair.

The thief raised the king's leg to rest up on his shoulder heightening the pleasure; Edgar tilts his head back drinking in the feeling. "Uhhh!" His eyes flutter over the pleasure, closing when he just can't take one more swirl of Lock's tongue over the head of his member.

"Uuuhh..." He straightened up in a sudden panic. He wasn't crazy, he heard the knob on the door jiggle. Pushing Locke back from him, he rolls off the counter top to a croutched position where he tucks himself back into his pants while grabbing the thief's hand, steering him to the back of the kitchen just as the solid wooden door swung open.

"Shit, what's he doing back so soon?" Locke asked not really as a question.

"I don't know." Edgar panted a little out of breath and still fixing himself up.

"What do we do?" The thief then asked; Edgar looked at the door on the other side of the kitchen.

"See that pot over there?" The king instructed and Locke looked over his other shoulder seeing a pot on the other counter.

"Right."

Sneaking over to the counter, Locke grabs a silver metal pan from it then he returned to the stone square pillar he and Edgar hid behind. "Got it." He showed it to him.

Edgar took the pot, and scouting an area that's clear he tosses it back where it came from, causing a racket on the countertop as the silver pan knocked over other pots and silverware.

"What on earth?" The cook jumped in start; going over to pick the items up, the two men snuck from the kitchen on the side that was now opened to them.

Once in the hall way they sighed and laughed to themselves. "We'd better learn to keep it in the special room, otherwise our little secret won't be a secret anymore." The king informed before grabbing the thief's face between his hands and kissing him.

Locke enhaled the kiss and sighed out when Edgar backed away. "Gods you taste good."

Edgar chuckled a bit to that and wrapped the man in a hug still feeling the light wet spots from when Setzer had hugged him. "Come on, let's go take care of these."

Locke couldn't be happier to hear that as they ran to the king's bed room.

0 0 0

"Could you please be careful?!" Setzer shouted over the noise as the guards lowered the metal arms into the water of Figaro Sea.

The men were being as careful as they could be, but Setzer seemed to think differently. He watched in agony as the metal of the arms groaned and whined getting under the rolling water; and he thought that they'd surely fail in getting it out.

"We caught a hold of something!" The guard controlling it called over the noise.

The gambler walked to the edge of the water looking downward into it. He strained his eyes, but gradually he began to see the brown showing through the almost black ocean causing him to grin.

"Back up, sir!" The man in the machine called; Sabin rolled his eyes and walked to the edge placing his hands on the gambler's shoulders to usher him out of the way.

The water bubbled where the upper level began to sink into the opening of the ships deck. The group of the men cover their ears from the roaring sound, watching as the airship was raised into the air and up over the land.

"Coming down!" The controller shouted and began to lower the ship to the grass.

"Gods...he's ruined." The gambler breathed, already estimating the price range to get supplies to fix the damages done.

"Welp," Sabin was saying shaking his head. "we won't be seeing you for a while."

"Ha ha." Setzer walked to his ship and placed a hand on it. "Don't worry my love, I'll get you back in the air in no time." He said quietly to the flying vessel.

Sabin cocked an eyebrow and said to himself. "I thought his ship was a guy?" Shaking it off with a shrug he decided to join the crown inside the castle. "I'm heading back to Figaro for luncheon, you coming?"

"I can't, I have to start repairs right away. Some other time though, right?"

Sabin nods, beginning to walk away when he heard Setzer saying...

"Oh no, I completely forgot about that."

Sabin stopped and turned around calling back. "Forgot about what?"

"I promised to pick up Terra and Relm to go with me to the castle." He gestured a hand. "Can't exactly take them there in this."

"No problem, I'll get 'em!" The blitz specialist called over the distance. "I'll use one of the castles vessels."

"Thank you!" Setzer called back. Followed him with his eyes until he disappeared, he then turned back to his boat with a heavy sigh. "Now what am I going to do with you?"

Five of the men walked up to Setzer's side and saluted.

"We are still at your service for the afternoon, sir; anything we can help you with?" Said a guard. "We at Figaro are the finest in machinary."

"How are you with a hammer?" The gambler asked.

"The best in the world." Another of them answered.

"Very good. Follow me." Said the gambler and they went down the path to South Figaro.


	3. Courting

"So my neighbor wants a self portrait of me in his house! Isn't that bizzare?!" Relm was saying when everyone was having luncheon.

"Maybe he has a crush on you?" Locke suggested and the little girl rolled her eyes.

"Yuck, I don't do adolescentes." She replied with her nose in the air as though the boy could see it. "I'm into more sophisticated men." She said looking at Edgar fluttering her lashes; he raised an eye brow at her then turned his vision away.

"Hm hm." She laughed quiantly and went back to her meal. "Hey Terra, you're awfully quiet, what's up?" Asked Locke looking across the table at the solemn young woman who seemed to be deep in thought.

"It's nothing. I was just wondering what happened out by South Figaro? Setzer's ship was a wreck. Did he crash? Is he all right? I didn't see him when we went by?" She looked them in the eyes to make sure no one would lie about it; they were her friends, yeah, but sometimes you say stuff to protect someone's feelings, especially when you care so much about them.

"Nah, Setz' is fine." Sabin was saying. "There was just a little fire incident that's all."

"A fire..." She said mainly to herself and her voice trailed off.

The Esper girl closed her eyes seeing a bit of a dream she'd had last night invovling fires and Setzer. _'Could it have been a premonition?'_ She wondered but shook it off.

"So my dear, what's been going on in your neck of the woods. How's the orphanage?" Edgar asked in interest.

"Well, I wouldn't really call it an orphanage any more, all the kids are so grown up they've all traveled out to find new homes. Now it's just me and a few of the younger kids that were left behind- and Duane and Katrina because they haven't saved up enough to move yet themselves."

Edgar nodded when she was finished, showing he was listening- he was well taught in the manners department.

"What about you? Anything exciting happen around the kingdom lately?" She returned the question; Edgar glanced at Locke a second and replied.

"Not much, just the usual sign this- remember to do that, that kind of thing."

Locke grinned into his napkin pretending to wipe his mouth.

"Poor guy, you should take a vacation some time- like to Thamasa." Relm said flashing him a toothy grin not the least bit put-off when he chuckled lightly at her odd sense of humor.

"Well, as you probably know, I did nothing all day so... feel free to take my time up with any activities." Sabin was saying to whom ever would listen to him.

"By the way, thanks for coming to get us Sabin." Terra said patting his shoulder.

"No problem Terr'." He replied biting into a hunk of honey dripped bread.

"I'll tell you one thing, this winter is gonna be harsh. How am I supposed to practice my mapping skills when I hardly wanna go outside?" Locke asked; Edgar's foot brushed his making him instantly blush.

"I'm sure you'll find something to do." The king replied.

"Yeah and if all else fails you can pick the locks on the doors." Sabin grinned widely, as Locke rolled his eyes saying.

"Ha ha ha."

They laughed a second, interrupted by the doubled doors to the dining room parting. They turned their heads seeing Setzer walking in. He didn't say anything just walked over to the table with a cloth which he filled with food, after which he nods his head once to them then walked back out.

"He'd make a great merchant; he takes the finer things, and gives them to someone else." Edgar said and they laughed out loud.

0 0 0

"Setzer!" Terra called as she ran down the field towards where his ship was landed.

"Hello Terra, lovely to see you. Are you going to help?"

She grabbed a towel and started dabbing off the side of the ship; looking at all of the men who were taking a break and eating, then she started staring at him.

"If you're trying to make me uncomfortable I've got to tell you it's working." He said looking down at her, but she shook away her staring and then spoke.

"I was just thinking that if you have nowhere to stay, the orphanage has plenty of room... and I could use someone around to talk to."

A smile played on his lips and he nodded to agree. "I'd love nothing better than to stay there with you."

She smiled shyly, and started to bunch the towel in her hands blushing; and it didn't help when he laughed at her attempt to hide it.

"Don't laugh." She hit him on the arm with the towel and explained herself. "I've just never had a guy staying there before, I mean Duane's there but he lives in another house over, and besides I don't see much of them when I just need someone to talk to." She started to dry the outter part of the ship again.

"I'll be your ears and eyes my dear." He said as though to himself, and he went back to work letting her steal a glance at him and she blushed again.

_'What is this weird feeling I'm getting from him- I know he's flirting with me but that's what guys do, so why does this feel so different?'_ The Esper girl wondered, but shrugged her shoulders. "Do you want me to do the inside too?" She asked.

He looked, nodding. Watching her walk inside of the ship, he smiles at the sway of her hips. _'She's so giving.' _He thought suddenly, and mindlessly continued marking places to cut the replacement wood._ 'Maybe we could have some alone time to...' _he trailed off shaking his head. _'Calm yourself man, she's a lady, not some hop in bed- __**any**__ bed fluzzy...if I really like her I have to be a gentleman about it.'_

"Right." He made an oath to himself out loud.

"What?" She asked from a mere foot beyond the ship's door.

He replied saying. "Nothing Terra, I was talking to myself again."

He heard her make a sound of acknowledgement and he made a plain laugh to himself.

"Someday."


	4. Sometimes Glancing

Later on that night they: Relm, Setzer, and Terra were on a boat. Relm was going to Thamasa- of course- and the two of them to Mobliz. The ship was on a steady path, and so, nearing the transfer ship for Thamasa.

"Sure is foggy out here." Relm was saying to herself as she saw the light to the other ship approaching.

"Becareful when you change ships, okay?" Terra instructed her.

The little artist made a puppet with her hand having it talk, and she grinned saying. "Of course I'll be careful; I mean, I'm 11 years old you think I'm a baby still?"

Relm felt the ship come to a stop; and when she grabbed her things, assisted by Setzer, she put a foot out in front of her and tripped. "Ahh." She cried out of shock.

Terra stifled laughter. "No. I don't think you're a baby," the Esper girl was saying answering Relms question. "I just think you should watch your step."

The little artist huffed in embarrassement and brushed her clothing off.

"Ready to go?" The gambler asked her and she nodded.

The two of them walked to the plank- as they call it- of the ship and crossed a big walk way over the water to another ship beside them, Setzer handed the girl her things when she was safely standing on the deck of the other ship and he turned around hearing as she said.

"Good bye, Setzer."

"Bye, Relm."

When Setzer was back on his destination-bound ship; the captain pulled the walkway back onto his ship and went to the head of it again to steer. "Won't be more than an hour folks you just hang tight."

Setzer watched Terra's shudder from a fog-bitten breeze that blew by in the sails, and he took odd his coat wrapping it around her.

"Thanks; it's really cold out here, isn't it?" She replied to his hospitality.

"I can't really tell, it's a lot colder in the air then down here so I'm used to it to an extent." He was saying as he buttoned his coat around her. "Care to join me in the galley? I'll bet it's plenty warm down there."

"Sure. And maybe we can find something to eat too. I know you're hungry and so am I." The Esper girl suggested knowing the food he took from the castle was for Edgar's guards and that he himself ate nothing.

"Read me like an opened book." He replied holding her hand in cupping fashion, and they walked below the decks.

It, in fact, was warmer down there from where the stoves were going from the ship crews dinner, and the engine room was letting off a lot of heat as well. "Hey there lass', you heading home now?" One of the men asked the Esper girl and she nodded shyly.

"Friends of yours?" Setzer asked, and she shook her head.

"Not exactly; it's just that this is the same ship Relm and I took to come here."

He made a sound of 'oh'; and they sat amongst a table that had men to every side of it but they slid over making room for them.

"Care to join us for dinner? It'll be done in a bit." A burly man said while looking at the bottom of his empty cup; he had an orange beard twisted up rather pointedly, but his hair looked to be a dark brown.

"Sure," Setzer said and then thought a moment. "before dinner how's about a game of cards?"

The men looked at each other and nodded with one of them saying. "Aye lad, but I warn yee we're good."

"I was hoping you were." He retorts pulling out a deck of cards from his jacket's inner pocket; Terra glanced down at his hands while he does this, once done he turned back to the men. "Ante up."

...

"That was all the money I had," one of them was saying. "what am I gonna tell my sweet heart?"

"You'll tell her..." Setzer started but stopped himself hearing the captain call down below.

"Everybody for Mobliz, get your things together!"

Setzer and Terra stood up, and he finished himself by saying. "Tell her the man that beat you was in too much of hurry to collect his winnings, good day gentlemen." He walked to the stairway with Terra, whom was glad he hadn't taken their money. It was one thing to hear about him doing it but to bare witness was a sad sight to see- for the other men that is.

The two of them marched through the dew-dropped grass out to the tiny village that remained almost nothing, regardless the homes that were built for the small group of people still willing to live in them.

Frowning. _'She really shouldn't live in a place like this, especially in the winter time; any one here could get sick from the cold, herself included, where's the nearest clinic? What kind of doctor do they have?'_ He looked down at her and she suddenly seemed distant; with his elbow he gave her a kindly nudge on the shoulder. "What's going on up there?" He asked.

The Esper girl just smiled then said. "Nothing, I was just thinking about what I was going to do once we got in."

"Well, what ever chores you have I'll help you; two hands makes for speedy work, right?"

"Right." She agreed with a nod.

They reached the door of her place, and the gambler went a little ahead of her to open the door.

"Thank you." She said walking inside.

He took one last look into the sky thinking, _'I may not have my ship but good fortune did come out of this.' _He went inside closing the door hearing an instant downpour right after.

"Mama!"

He heard a group of little girls and a boy shout when they saw her; he looked around the place as though he'd never been there before and then gazed at the sight of all the children, and how happy they were to see her; same thing for them from her.

_'Sweet.' _He thought with a smile and walked past them to sit down at a small makeshift table.

"Did you bring us anything?" A little boy asked jumping up and down, hoping for a yes.

_'Well he's charming.'_ Setzer thought sarcastically and pulled out his deck of cards setting up a game of Solitaire.

"Nope, no gifts today," Terra was saying then stood herself up gesturing. "but I brought a guest here to stay with us for a while." They all turned and looked at him.

He smiled saying. "Hi."

"This is Setzer, and Setzer this is Marlie, Brianna, Charlie, Howie, and Katrina; although she should be at home asleep in her bed." She said scolding a six year old girl who was probably staying with Katarin and her husband.

"I wanna see a trick first." The little girl said walking over to the table. "Can you do a trick, mister Sezter?"

"Yes, mister Sezter knows many tricks."

Terra laughed at his good humor for the girl saying his name wrong; and she sat down on the floor with the kids around her. Setzer joined them but sat in front so they could see what he was going to do.

"Watch this," The gambler said placing six cards face up in two's in front of the group. "all these cards are different, right?" They nodded and he continued. "But when you turn them over," he said flipping them all over to the back sides. "They're all the same..." he saw their blank expressions and then picked any random kid's name. "Brianna, can you flip a card over for me? Any one will do." He asked, and the little girl leaned forward flipping a card over.

"What does it show?" Setzer asked her.

She replied. "A A."

"An A." Terra corrected and the girl repeated her.

"Nnn A."

He laughed lightly to himself and gestured for her to place it back down with the other face down cards.

"Since the card at play is an Ace then I will make them all an Ace for you." He said to the girl who giggled.

He flipped her card back over revealing the Ace of spades and then he flipped the next one showing the same card and he continued down the line, and the kids eyes went wide with shock. They were all Ace's of spades.

"Whooaa! How did you do that?" They all asked standing up to crowd the pile of matching cards.

"It's all in the trick of the hand children, but I think it's time for little girls and little boys to get to bed, your mama thinks so too, right?" He said looking to Terra who nodded.

"Uh huh." She said feeling her cheeks flush.

The little boy said as though he'd just heard Setzer saying it, that he wasn't a little boy.

"Young men, too, then." Terra replied; and they all sighed and "aaawwed" that they had to go to sleep.

"I'll show you another trick when you wake up, but you have to promise to go right to bed." He promised them and they grinned.

"Okay!" They threw their arms around Terra's waist and then around his legs before they ran to their bedrooms.

"You are amazing, I didn't know you were so good with kids." Terra was saying gesturing a hand out for him to follow her to his room. "Everytime I think I have you figured out, you do something else that makes you a bit more complicated." The comment added as they went down the hall; she glanced idly into the rooms to make sure the kids had listened and sure enough they did.

"I'm not too much of a mystery." He brushed it off; but she looked at him oddly, then she reached out grabbing a knob.

"Here we are."

At the end of the hall she opened the door to a tiny room with a bed, and a small wooden writing desk with a lit candle on it; aside from that the room was baren.

"It's not as fancy as your bedroom on the Blackjack, but it'll keep the rain away." The Esper girl said walking in with him.

"Don't be so modest, this is way better than my bedroom."

She smiled to that because she knew he was just being nice, but it was good to hear either way. "If you need anything, I'm right next door on the right."

"Right." He replied sitting on the bed and setting them up as he'd recalled them, he restarts his interupted game of cards. "Good night, Terra." He said to her and she walked to the doorway and said in return.

"Good night."

As she was closing his door she was watching him a second then shook her head closing the door all the way, then gone into her own.


End file.
